Five more public broadcasters have received grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to improve emergency alerting infrastructure.
This batch is the latest disbursement from the first round of funding from Congress, which totaled $40 million from the FY2022 budget.
“With these grants, CPB has awarded funding to 35 public media stations in 19 states so far for the Next Generation Warning System grant program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” the organization announced.
FEMA has awarded CPB a total of $136 million over three fiscal years in the program. Looking ahead, CPB has received approximately 170 applications requesting $109 million in the FY2023 round, for which Congress approved $56 million; and FEMA recently announced that CPB will administer a third round from $40 million Congress approved for FY2024.
The five broadcasters that have received new grants are listed below (dollar amounts have been rounded):
- Eastern Kentucky University, licensee of WEKU(FM) in Richmond, Ky., receives up to $382,000 to upgrade and replace infrastructure to ensure that alerts can be sent to rural and underserved communities.
- Murray State University, licensee of WKMS-FM in Murray, Ky., gets up to $270,00 to upgrade aging equipment at two transmitter sites, enabling it to broadcast in HD and improve emergency messaging infrastructure.
- Missouri State University, which has KOZK(TV) and KSMU(FM) in Springfield, Mo., receives up to $384,500 to replace broadcasting equipment and expand KSMU’s reach, including HD Radio equipment.
- Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s KOYA(FM) in Rosebud, S.D., receives up to $481,000 to replace and upgrade infrastructure;
- And Hawaii Public Television Foundation/PBS Hawaii (KMEB-TV), Honolulu, receives up to $185,000 to replace an older transmitter.
